Devices are currently equipped with some internet protocol address which enables them to be uniquely identifiable. When the devices are found to have similar standards, their technological interoperability gives them the ability to communicate. The manufacturer will benefit from the devise usage and also clarity within data issues if the Intellectual Property factors are evident.

Siri which is a virtual assistant developed by Apple uses voice queries and a natural language interface while answering questions, for instance in the film, the student was on campus walking towards the class and decides to ask Siri a how his schedule was on that particular day. Siri responds by telling him that, “today you have only one class at eleven am”, and goes ahead to suggest that they should go for a hike and take some pictures at the Torrey Pines. It also notifies the user that it got a new camera update which the user would like. On top of that, Siri also brings to the attention of the user that there is a new cafe which is located 1.2 miles. Here, Siri is seen to make recommendations to the user since he had only one class on that particular day. The software can adapt to the student’s language use and also managed to search for the nearby cafe as part of its suggestions. The results which it gave it’s user seem to be unique and individualised.

Siri has a unique speech recognition engine which has enabled it to connect with its users more efficiently albeit different tonal variation and voice from one user to the other. It also uses technologies with advanced machine learning abilities for it to function. It is capable of supporting and handling a vast range of the user commands which include phone actions, being able to check information like it is evident in scene five whereby the user asks Siri to help him in filling out a survey. Siri asks the user to scan the survey to enable it to do the work and further advised him how to go about with it by telling him to face his phone towards the screen and wait for five seconds. Here, Siri is seen to demonstrate his capability of searching the internet, navigating through, processing information and eventually producing expected results. After about ten seconds Siri notifies the user that the survey is complete and submitted. It shows Siri can work fast and deliver the correct results within a short period.

Continuous updates have been availed by the developers, as they try to improve Siri’s voice by making it more audible and clear. On its initial release on the I-phone 4s  in the year 2011, it received mixed reactions and reviews from various users. Some of the users praised it for its ability to recognise the voices and ability to have contextual knowledge for the user information like calendar appointments. For example on scene four, the user is explaining to his friend how Siri reminded him of his girlfriend’s birthday, and also it ordered a present for her on his behalf from Amazon with a same day shipping date. On the other hand, it was criticised for lack of some crucial information on various nearby places, and it’s incompetence in understanding some specific English accents. Poor voice recognition and also undeveloped service integrations are also some of the challenges which users constantly found with the use of artificial intelligence assistant. For example at scene four, one of the students says “…But, isn’t it sometimes weird that shes like a regular person? Minus the voice? I’m not sure if I like it.” It shows that according to him there are various aspects of Siri which do not interest him.

Siri was initially released as a stand-alone application, but over the years the developers have managed to introduce the beta version of Siri in the subsequent release. Siri has featured various voice commands which include the phone and text actions like “send a mail to dad” among others. It is also capable of checking basic information, for example in scene after the student has updated Siri, he asks it, “Siri what will the weather be like today?”. Siri takes some time before responding to the student and prompts to a refresh button after which it suddenly changes the colour and responds by saying,  “There’s no chance of rain today, and it’ll be sunny for the most part, just perfect for the beach!” Siri is also capable of scheduling events and reminders as it is shown in scene four whereby the student is reminded of his girlfriend’s birthday. Handling device settings and searching the internet are also some of the features notable on Siri. For example in scene five, Siri instructs the student on how to go about scanning the survey and after which it navigates the internet and produces the expected results of the survey.

Siri as an intelligent virtual assistant has impacted numerous people positively, but still, a lot needs to be done on improving it to be more user-friendly and easy to understand what the user requires from it. For instance, the voice of Siri should not just be limited to the female gender but it should have an option of both genders, and the choice should be left for the user to decide which he or she intends to use. Siri should also be customised with an updated feature which will allow for individualised recognition of the user’s voice which may go a long way in prevention of non-owner activation. As noted in the film, Siri has an extensive capability of handling follow up questions and opens to numerous third-party actions which include task management. Siri has and will continuously change how people live in day to day life.

Reference

Kaplan, A., & Haenlein, M. (2019). Siri, Siri, in my hand: Who’s the fairest in the land? On the interpretations, illustrations, and implications of artificial            intelligence. BusinessHorizons, 62(1), 15-25.

Massaro, T. M., Norton, H., & Kaminski, M. E. (2016). SIRI-OUSLY 2.0: What Artificial         Intelligence Reveals About the First Amendment. Minn. L. Rev., 101, 2481.